The last week of Christmas looked like this in my home...
Pretty flowers for my own pleasure
and some more for a friendly hostess.
More packages went out and more cards came in...No pictures of the packages out though and you won't see which cards came in among all the ones hung on the picture frame.
And saddest of all was the card returned. A look online presented us with an obituary for a very elderly aunt. Rest in peace, sweet soul.
The winter solstice came and went in a swirl of misty rain and heavy clouds and a return to chillier temperatures. The world is looking more winter and less autumn now, though colored leaves clean stubbornly to trees over on the roadway yet.
A solo Shabat but it looks much like any Friday night just the same.
And while I was taking Shabat, I answered my phone, something I'd not typically do but it felt right somehow to take it. I heard the news that my ex-husband had passed away.
I watched my most favorite of all Christmas programs, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". It was a nice way to take my mind off my children's grief.
Saturday we lazed about the house in our pajamas. It was the respite we much needed.
I took time to do my nails.
Sunday we were up very early, well before 6am. I don't have a clue why. I put on Christmas music and we enjoyed our usual holiday breakfast of tiny beef sausages and canned orange cinnamon rolls. I hadn't planned to have our holiday today but John asked Sunday if we'd do anything special today and suddenly it felt right to choose to celebrate Christmas together today.
We went to church which met early this morning and children and adults all came together to sing carols, hear the final Advent sermon and then take communion, followed by a candlelight service. It was just lovely. My favorite part was when those few whose candles had already been lit, carried them back to those who had not had an opportunity to light candles and we watched the light spread from one candle to another. Christmas felt 'real' to me at that moment, watching that light spread throughout the auditorium.
We came home and had our feast on a prettily set table.
We had a regular feast with appetizers and a roast beast with Yorkshire pudding which always sounds so elegant to me and tastes just so so. I used an easier recipe this year but note to self: a teeny bit more salt can't hurt at all. Maybe next year, I'll make individual puddings as suggested by Karla.
Christmas morning dawned cold and clear. It never did warm up much and nobody in Georgia made a complaint over that! We've had quite enough 80F Christmases in the past to make a cold one deeply appreciated.
I visited John's partner's family Christmas day. It was very laid back and relaxed and easy. It was a pleasure to wash up dishes in the warm water and stack them neatly to the side while the others either dried or put away the foods. I came home and started planning January.
I watched a lovely sunset.
Then I put on socks
and turned my feet toward the warmth of the heater which felt mighty pleasant on a very chilly evening,
as I watched an old Christmas special with Bing Crosby and Robert Goulet. Old fashioned it's true but it's just the sort of Christmas programming I like...and though I was at home alone, I wasn't lonely in the least. I'd heard from all my family during the day. And that was Christmas, this year.
9 comments:
It looks very cozy and calm in your home. The pretty bouquet of flowers looks so cheerful. It's very unusual for me to buy fresh flowers, but your pretty bouquet has me considering it.
I love the little foxes on your nails! Are those the Jamberry
wraps that you have written about? They're really cute.
Since I'm a person who likes to keep to pretty much the same routine, I am enjoying these calmer days heading into the New Year. It is so cold here, we had a white Christmas Eve and snow on the ground for Christmas. It's been several years since that has happened. This week is supposed to be very cold with no days going above freezing and some lows in the single digits at night. Your heater and cozy socks look very good to me. I'm putting on a second pair of socks over the ones I have on and a flannel top over my tee and cozying up near the vaporizer tonight. Not exactly a fireplace, but it warms me up without drying out my skin or sinuses.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Very calm Christmas here. My son wasnt able to come because of the weather forecast and my grandson was outof town and my other dsughter is in NC so it was just hubby, my intowm daughter, son and hubby and his mom for Christmas Eve. I sure missed the others but it was very peaceful. Today we sat around like lumps, ate what we wanted, snacked and just enjoyed the days. Not being able to do much this year, I realized that even though I didn't send cards, used only half my decorations,no baking, didn't clean like a madmen, didn't shop much and didnt go events, the only thing I really missed was black Friday shopping with my daughter. We have so much fun that day. Quite the revelation to me.We are in the middle of about a 4 day storm with snow, cold, and wind. Gramma is etaying
Merry Christmas, Terri. I finally got to Georgia this month for a conference in Atlanta. I was so excited to experience a bit of warm, Southern climate ... but, no, I arrived after most of the snow had melted but the temperature was definitely cold. We still had a good time and were able to visit with friends and family. Saw the sunset over Atlanta from Stone Mountain. Just awesome. Here's to a wonderful 2018. Blessings and Peace. Chris M
Susie, Yes the little foxes are wraps from Jamberry. I enjoyed that manicure very much and noted on Sunday in broad sunlight that there were also tiny foxes on the white wraps as well. I hadn't seen them well enough in the house to note that fact. We too are in a 'cool' down but not such as yours. Our night temps will run freezing but daytimes are in the high 40's.
Gramma D, isn't it funny how in a situation such as yours you discover what is necessary and most missed and what is just filler for being busy?
Chris M, chuckling over your poor 'warm' welcome to the south! Yes, north Georgia areas did get snow that week but the NEXT week temps were near mid 70's. You just missed it was all...
It does look like you had a lovely, cozy Christmas celebration just on your own. Just a note on the Yorkshire puddings - we used to do a big pan of it but my mother-in-law always doubles the recipe so it would take forever to bake. When using the muffin tin, it takes much less time!
So sorry to hear about your children's father. I know that must be difficult at this time of year. Blessings to all of you.
A city near us had 53 inches of snow, 30+ was on Christmas day, We were fortunate it just missed us. Today it was 7 and there is another round of snow coming. Just thought I would mention it. LOL. Gramma D
I'm sorry about your ex-husband and your grieving children. It always seems more difficult to handle a death so close to the holidays.
I'm glad your Christmas was cozy and warm. I'm sorry to hear about the death in the family...that's never easy no matter what the circumstances. My daughter's father-in-law passed away Christmas Day, a bit unexpectedly. So, although we barely knew him, it still put a bit of a damper on things.
Our Christmas was the opposite of quiet and cozy! It was busy, busy, busy, as we had a 3-year-old visiting as part of our out-of-town guests. Boy, was it fun, though. Still, yesterday---I sat like a lump on the couch and watched "White Christmas" and other shows. I was whupped:).
Post a Comment